“After they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea.” John 6:19

So far inn this short series we have seen that Jesus has the power over shame, over distance, over disease, and over material things like food. Today we’re going to look at His power over the natural world.

Jesus had sent His disciples ahead of Him in a boat, while He stayed behind to pray. A storm arose and the disciples were fighting to keep the boat on course. They were afraid of the storm, but even more afraid when they saw a figure coming to them, walking on the surface of the sea.

Jesus had shown them the sign of His deity through making the water into wine, healing the sick, multiplying a small lunch to feed a multitude and now He was showing His authority over the natural world itself.

John 1:3 tells us, “All things were created through Him, and apart from Him not one thing was created that has been created.” He made the sea, and now He was demonstrating that He had the power to walk on the surface of the sea. In Matthew 8:27 we read that “Even the winds and the sea obey Him!”

Jesus was demonstrating His power, not to impress, but to prove that He really was the Son of God. He didn’t want fans, He wanted followers. His signs and symbols were for one reason only – to prove who He really was, so that His disciples would believe in Him.

John was an eye witness to Jesus walking on the water and calming the storm. He also saw all the other miracles Jesus performed. He wrote this gospel for one purpose only:

“Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples that are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” John 20:30-31.

We can read about Jesus walking on the water and scoff at the account, or we can read deeply into what it means and signifies and become a follower of Jesus. The choice is always up to us.